The Charge

Sometimes you have to play with fire.

Opening Statement

I watch all my TV on DVD, and the shows generally fall into two categories.
The first includes those shows that I absolutely love and rewatch frequently.
The other includes my "guilty pleasure" shows, those that, however
good they may be, I'm only likely to watch once. Rescue Me falls into the
latter camp. When each season is released on DVD, I greedily watch all 13
episodes in a couple of days, but then promptly forget about it until the next
DVD release. I was certainly anticipating this release of Rescue Me: The
Complete Fourth Season because of all the threads the writers left hanging.
Generally, I was happy with the resolution and development of the plots from
last season, but overall this season just doesn't have quite the impact that the
previous three seasons delivered.

Facts of the Case

Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary, Small Soldiers) and the guys of 62 Truck are
back for 13 more episodes of firefighting fun. We last saw Tommy with Sheila in
a beach house engulfed in flames. As this season opens, they are under
investigation for insurance fraud. Janet's not doing well with the new baby (who
doesn't have a name or a good lock on who his father is yet). The Chief is still
on leave pending a physical. Garrity and Maggie are still rocky, while Natalie
and Franco seem to be moving forward. The probie's mom is getting sicker, while
Uncle Teddy is still facing hard time. The rest of the season follows the
characters as they deal with the fallout of these situations. Like previous
seasons of Rescue Me, it would take another ten thousand words to scratch
the surface of all the different subplots that weave their way through these 13
episodes. Suffice it to say that if you expect the worst and/or funniest thing
that could happen to a character, you'll probably be right.

The Evidence

The best thing about Rescue Me is the fact that each season plays
almost like a single episode. It's not quite 24, but individual episodes
don't have the usual three-act structure, and very rarely does an issue brought
up in an episode get solved in that episode. Instead, stories unfold more
gradually (and I would say naturally as well). Because of this structure, the
writers can keep everything fresh by bringing certain storylines to a boil while
others languish on the backburner, only to switch things up and devote an entire
episode to an issue that was almost forgotten. It's a delicate system, and I
suspect that the show is not kind to casual viewers, because it can sometimes be
hard to keep up even when watching shows back to back. Despite the high level of
quality in the writing, a couple of problems bogged down Season Four.

The biggest problem, for me, was that it peaked too early. A couple of
lingering storylines from Season Three get resolved fairly early in Season Four,
and that was the emotional highlight of the season. From then on I was
interested, but after the sucker punches early on, the rest of the season seemed
sort of tame. Related to the peaking problem, this season seemed to lack a
central problem (or problems) that the other seasons had. Instead of one big
conflict, this season focused on a bunch of smaller difficulties. I was
interested in the various situations, but none of them had the impact of
Connor's death or Johnny's relationship with Janet.

Also, this season ended with a bit of a fizzle. There was some emotional
impact, but little in the way of a cliffhanger. However, the finale did do an
excellent job setting the stage for Season Five. By the end of this season there
were enough conflicts brewing to make Season Five a must-view.

I know Rescue Me is on a cable network and budget/time constraints
keep it to 13 episodes a season, but the show is busting at the seams. 13
episodes at a time just isn't a large enough canvas on which to paint all the
stories the writers want to tell. Tommy is obviously the focus of the show, but
the show has done a great job creating the supporting characters, and 13
episodes at a time just doesn't do them justice. Word on the street is that
Season Five will be expanded to 22 episodes, and it's about time. With all the
major players getting significant story time, this season of Rescue Me
clearly demonstrates the need for more room to expand.

Rescue Me: The Complete Fourth Season also falls a little flat in the
technical department when compared to last season. Shot in HD, the image
generally looks pretty sharp, but there seemed to be a little more grain this
time out. It's not a bad presentation, but I was expecting a little more. The
audio is slightly better, with excellent balance and good effects. The lack of
subtitles is a bummer, and something I hope future seasons correct.

Most of the extras are the usual clip-laden examinations of aspects of the
show. Fun for a once-over, but not very deep. We also get deleted scenes, many
of which actually add to the storylines. There's also a blooper reel with loads
of flubbed lines and cursing. This season also gives us "Firehouse (Real
Stories from America's Bravest)," which includes interviews with
firefighters telling their true stories. Personally, I'd like some commentaries
and more focus on the writers, but what's here isn't bad.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Although I didn't find this season as compelling as the previous three, it's
still the same Rescue Me. Tommy may be off the sauce, but he's still the
foul-mouthed, belligerent, politically incorrect bastard he's always been. His
crew is still on for the ride, taking black comedy potshots at death, religion,
and sexuality. If you loved the first three seasons then this one is easy to
recommend, even if it's not quite up to snuff.

Although I enjoy Rescue Me, it is certainly an acquired taste. Those
who are easily offended or want to keep a pristine image of what goes on in a
firehouse are urged to avoid this show.

Closing Statement

Season Four didn't quite reach the high bar set by the first three seasons.
However, it's still a great show that features solid writing, loads of drama,
and some amazing performances. This season also doesn't meet the bar in tech
specs, but this is still a respectable presentation. If, like me, you're
addicted to the antics of Tommy and his crew, then this season is worth a
shot.